George Daddis Jr. is CEO of Omni-ID, which makes 'smart' sensors for manufacturers.

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Whirlpool Corp.'s factory in Clyde, Ohio, is a massive testament to modern manufacturing. At the largest washing machine plant in the world, the 3,200 workers there churn out 5 million washers a year.

But gone are the years when employees made the same few products over and over. About five years ago, Whirlpool began offering a wider range of washers with different features and at different prices. All of that means substantially more parts to keep track of and channel to the right workstations at the right times.

"As we started getting more part numbers over the last few years, we ran into some ...